Saturday, May 15, 2010

My hero of the day: Laura Bush...?!!

Promoting her new autobiography, Spoken From the Heart, Laura told Larry King that she urged her husband not to make gay marriage a wedge issue in the 2004 election. Of course, George W. Bush and the Republicans did, and it clearly made a difference that November. Still, Laura deserves a lot of respect for making that effort six years ago. It could not have been easy in the fear climate of 2004. She also revealed her pro-choice leanings.

She deserves further credit for acknowledging the generational shift that she thinks (as I do) will inevitably lead to full marriage rights for gays and lesbians. It's absolutely true, and the way she speaks of it suggests that she's fine with that. I have a new respect for her.

Granted, I've taken some easy shots at the Bush family in the past. But I've always suspected that there was something more to the former first lady than she let on during her husband's presidency. After all, she was a librarian, and librarians generally aren't ones for my-way-or-the-highway anti-intellectualism. She promoted literacy, at least. Anyway, it's unfair to judge someone by their relations, even within the circle-the-wagons Bush dynasty. Sometimes I forget that.

There's no doubt in my mind that Laura and I are a lot different on various issues, ones that would require far less courage to articulate. But she's taking an admirable stand here and I'm grateful for it. I wish she'd been able to get under George's skin about these issues, but I can understand how she couldn't, not being a blood Bush or Dick Cheney and all.

So thank you, Laura, for being on the right side of a very divisive issue, one that your husband and his colleagues regrettably exploited to retain power. And thank you for reminding me that intelligence and humanity can be found in unexpected places.

28 comments:

Wow I hope this is a joke or are you seriously that dense? You make a post thanking Laura Bush for saying something that appeals to you when she's plugging a book she just wrote and wants to sell. You're opinion read lightly might actually convince someone to pay for that waste of paper indirectly giving money to the folks that have caused so many problems in this world.

Yes, Laura Bush is advocating for a reasonable viewpoint on issues that potentially puts her at odds with her party and her family, given that they banked their entire legacy on opposing them, for the sake of a few bucks she doesn't need. Bucks that I'm apparently in some position to influence. Hah!

I like to give people credit where it's due. And while the Bush family can kiss my ass, she's right about this one. She seems genuine in her belief, and it certainly doesn't make sense to extol those views for profit, given that she'd probably make more money catering to those who think the opposite.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you should set me straight, Robert, because you know everything.

Yes, Tom, the Republicans did, in fact, make gay marriage a pivotal issue in 2004. That's inarguable, no matter how much you hate me. Then again, you'd argue Obama isn't even black if it gave you a chance to insult me.

Speaking of IRL...I spent the afternoon playing football and talking with a conservative blogger friend. He's intelligent and engaging - everything you're not. And he's embarrassed by people like you.

It was pivotal because it brought out the GOP vote in 2004. Legislative action wasn't even necessary, because most wedge issues - abortion, gay marriage, etc. - are never acted upon. They need these issues to stay viable. It's more politically expedient to say, hey, if you don't vote us in, the Democrats WILL act on them. It made a huge difference in voter turnout in '04. In Louisiana, voters outlawed all civil unions, fueled by a relentless campaign against gay marriage by state candidates and the national party.

But that's not the point of this blog. The point is that I had a rare good word for a Bush, and you've been completely silent on this incredible breach of your unwavering view of me as a reactionary Bush-hater and partisan robot.

As for my friend, here's his blog: http://simplethoughts-complexmind.blogspot.com. Not all of his posts are political, but you'll find the ones that are are well thought out and give you food for thought. You ought to try it sometime.

ahahaha so let me get this right, you agree with Laura Bush's obvious liberal leanings and you want some kind of pat on the back for it? As if this proves you're not an inflexible liberal ideologue? I got that right pal?

Where does this rage of yours come from? Seriously...I could write about eating a red apple and you'd turn it into some communist conspiracy. With some late-night Brooklyn tuff-guy bar bluster thrown in. What a joke.

Yes, I gave compliments to Laura Bush for being sensible on an issue. Not liberal, sensible. She understands that gay marriage is going to eventually be accepted as the societal norm. My apologies if you have a problem with what I said. If you don't like it, go outside or something. I don't write for you and couldn't care less what you think. Your opinion is worthless, because you are not a civil person.

Yeah, maybe next time I'll criticize her for the stance, just because she's a Bush, and you'll ride my ass for that too. There seems to be literally nothing that you won't criticize me for. It's remarkable, really.

Wow, it's all of your catch-all "arguments" in one comment! Looks like you pasted your whole template this time. Be careful in the future.

Everything you ever say seems to point to me being either a liberal or a hypocrite. Guilty as charged on the first one. I understand you're so small-minded as to really think that's an insult to me as much as it is to you, but it's not. I embrace the liberal label. I see what point you're trying to make with that, but it only makes you look pig-headed.

As for the hypocrisy, eh. I wasn't aware that criticizing a reckless president I didn't vote for and being easier on one I did vote for made me a hypocrite. I guess if you twist it on some metaphysical plane, you could make that argument. But it's also a stupid one that frequently shoots you in the foot. Time-consuming, too, I'd imagine.

I haven't posted at DU in many years or Daily Kos for a couple. But even if I did, so what? None of that excuses you from your complete and consistent failure to address any of my points, Tom. None of that excuses you from your libelous accusations that I'm a drug user and make up all supportive comments. None of that excuses you from your relentless trolling and harassment that continues long after I've blocked your comments. The harder you try to discredit me, the more pathetic you look. And with that, I'm gone and so are you.

As for that comment thread that started this whole thing, I asked why nothing you were saying had any basis in truth, and only made sense in a racial context. That's not accusing you of racism. I was giving you the chance to explain how else it made sense, and you failed to do so, instead getting pissed about how I was accusing you of racism, yadda yadda yadda. For the record, Tom, I don't think you're racist. But in the 254 times you've brought it up since, you have yet to explain how the tea party platform (which you chose to personify) is not at least in large part based on the president's ethnicity. Instead, you choose to do more of the only thing you know how to do - harass and belittle. And I'm not giving you the opportunity to do that yet again. Now I'm really done. Goodbye.

Just visiting some of the recent threads. End of the school year and graduation activities have had me preoccupied as of late. This one strikes me as particularly odd. Not the post, but the responses.

Years of complaining that "liberals" were too hard on the Bush family, and a compliment to one of the Bush clan brings out responses like this? Truly mind-boggling to me. You're the uber partisan one, but an even-handed compliment is a veiled liberal sympathetic plot? You have to wonder what the point is in seeking civil discourse with some folks is.

NOLA - Your priorities are straight. Glad to hear from you again, though, and hope all is well.

Tom - If you complimented Obama for what you saw as a fair-minded stance, I would respect you for that, regardless of what it was. I probably wouldn't agree, but it would at least prove to me that you use your head and are capable of critical thinking. Though I suppose you'd have to change your avatar to something less stupid to reflect that.

Look, I agree with you and Mrs. Bush about gay rights, but it is an overwhelmingly liberal stance to have. Don't act as if applauding her for believing it too makes you some kind of fair minded individual, or that it makes you some kind of middle of the road moderate.

Also, don't even talk about avatars, yours looks like the last thing a rape victim would see in a dark alley.

I don't recall doing anything but thanking her for the stance (and perhaps showing some personal humility) until you and Robert decided I was grandstanding. So, really, you're criticizing me for something you concocted in your own mind.

And let's suppose I did compliment her for something right-wing - you'd accuse me of being a phony or a flip-flopper with some convoluted ulterior motive. Don't pretend you wouldn't. NOLA made a great point in that regard.

Funny thing about my avatar...you're the only one who ever suggested it was rapist, because women compliment it all the time. And much like with this blog in general, it's not about wooing you.

My point is you tried to use this agreement with Laura Bush as some kind of proof that you're not a, and I quote, "reactionary Bush-hater", which is such utter hogwash that it made me guffaw. Agreeing with her liberal leanings doesn't make you some kind of moderate no matter how many sycophants you gather up to proclaim as much.

As for your avatar; maybe you just know a lot of women that have rape fantasies, I don't know. It's very sinister. It borders on the uncivil. I'm tempted to PS a handlebar mustache and top hat on it to make it even more creepy.

Tom, where in the deepest, darkest cavities of your imagination did you come up with the notion that I'm trying to portray myself as moderate? I'm not. What I AM doing is crediting someone for an enlightened view on an issue that I think transcends politics. One that even you said you agreed with, for god's sake! Are you that desperate to slam me?

"Tom, where in the deepest, darkest cavities of your imagination did you come up with the notion that I'm trying to portray myself as moderate?"

Right about here...

"The point is that I had a rare good word for a Bush, and you've been completely silent on this incredible breach of your unwavering view of me as a reactionary Bush-hater and partisan robot."

Maybe you didn't outright say "Look this means I'm a moderate!" but that's what you were trying to convey. You're saying that your support of Laura Bush's liberal leanings someone makes you less of a partisan. It doesn't.

As for avatar slam, hate to say it you started it. I can't help it if I have a little more flourish than you when picking things like that apart. So yeah, stones thrown. Have at thee!

You accuse me of being a parrot for the Democratic Party. That is not the same thing as being a consistent liberal. In fact, you can't be a consistent liberal and be a parrot for any party. I probably don't criticize them enough to please you, but that's why you have your own blog. You can't pretend I never have. For someone who gives me so much shit for my interpretations, you sure seem to have many leaps of your own logic.

My avatar not original? It's a self-portrait. Of my actual face. Doesn't get more original than that, does it? It's certainly more original than the stupid Joker caricature you use that's been the eyesore of every tea party gathering. And that sits next to your repeated insistence that nothing about you is racist.

Who knew Heath Ledger's Joker was secretly a racist symbol. Of course to you buying ammunition is racist, so whateverthefuck.

It's an even more pathetic display considering just last week you told me you didn't think I was a racist, which I'm not.

Once again, Ian McGibboney, the man without a single consistent thought in his head!

You should really keep index cards or something with like topics on them and your position on those topics, that way you won't get confused when you feel the urge to regurgitate that shiny new talking point Jon Stewart fed you. Just trying to help!

Well, I don't think you're a racist. But I still don't understand the avatar. I mean, it says "Joke" now, but you used it before that with "socialism" on it, at the tea partiers do. What was the point of it then? And regardless, it's still unoriginal and, I think, racist at least on the part of its earliest creators and users, which doesn't reflect well on you. Kind of like how some people insist the Confederate flag isn't racist, and then wonder why people look at them funny when they display it.

The rest of your drivel isn't worth the time you wasted typing it. You officially have no more to say, and thus ends your participation in this thread.